Ether Surges Back Above $3,000 as Selling Pressure Shows Signs of Easing

Ethereum (ETH) has kicked off the week on a strong footing, reclaiming the psychologically important $3,000 level amid a sharp spike in trading activity and indicators pointing to diminishing sell-side momentum.

Key Highlights

• ETH reclaimed $3,000 on December 22, accompanied by a 100% surge in daily trading volume.
• Declining Taker Sell Volume suggests aggressive selling is fading.
• Analysts see potential for a bullish shift if ETH clears the $3,200–$3,400 resistance zone.

(Sources: Coingecko)

Signs of Weakening Seller Conviction

After a volatile period that saw ETH dip below $2,800 last week, the second-largest cryptocurrency staged a swift recovery. On-chain data from CryptoQuant reveals that the 30-day simple moving average of Ethereum Taker Sell Volume has fallen to approximately $6.3 billion—its lowest level since May. This metric tracks aggressive market sell orders and its decline signals that panic or forced liquidations are subsiding.

Institutional buying interest appears to be returning as well. On-chain monitoring platform Lookonchain reported that Bitmine Immersion Technologies, led by Tom Lee, purchased 13,412 ETH valued at over $40 million on December 22.

Ethereum’s Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL) indicator currently sits at around 0.22, remaining comfortably in positive territory. This reading indicates that the average holder is still in profit, but those gains are modest—far from the euphoric levels typically seen at market tops. Historically, NUPL in this range reflects cautious optimism rather than fear or greed dominance.

Adding to the constructive picture, Binance—the world’s largest exchange—has recorded significant net ETH outflows recently. Large withdrawals from exchanges typically reduce immediate selling pressure, especially when occurring alongside only moderate unrealized profits, suggesting holders are opting to self-custody rather than cash out.

Price Action and Technical Outlook

Popular analyst CyrilXBT noted that while ETH is enjoying a relief bounce, it remains below critical resistance. The $2,700–$3,000 zone has flipped from resistance to fragile support, and any renewed weakness could trigger rapid downside acceleration.

Conversely, a sustained break above $3,200–$3,400 would shift control to the bulls and signal a healthier uptrend. As of December 23, 2025, ETH is trading near $3,031, up roughly 2% over the past 24 hours. Despite the recent gains, it remains down 38% from its August 2025 high of $4,953.

Context from Last Week’s Weakness

The current rebound follows a challenging stretch for Ethereum. Last week alone, U.S. spot ETH ETFs recorded combined net outflows of $644 million, with none of the nine approved funds attracting fresh capital. Whale distribution and broader altcoin pressure had pushed ETH toward multi-month lows.

The combination of cooling sell-side metrics, institutional accumulation, and exchange outflows now paints a more balanced picture, setting the stage for potential upside if key resistance levels are conquered.